Down in the DUMP
by CaitMooney
Summary: strange little story about if Draco and Hermione where to be brought up together in a wizard orphanage... they are each others family, but when Draco and Hermione dig into their own pasts they realise they are the polar opposite of a family. life at Hogwarts is suddenly a war and for the first time ever they are on different sides. Updates every friday
1. Chapter 1

The walls of Narcissa's cell in Azkkaban were stony and wet. A smell of dampness constantly lingering in the had lost weighed since the ordeal began, her face was now belonged to a skeleton, her locks steady falling out to create a veil instead of a mane of blonde hair in front of her pale eyes carried bags under them much larger than they should have been but despite all this, despite the demanding hunger pains that gnawed her insides, despite the prominent depression that filled every open space in her fragile body all she could focus on was the tiny baby in her weak baby that clung to her like a koala on a tree branch. Narcissa let her elegant fingers brush her sons light blonde fell from her eyes onto him and he looked at her with sadness

"What's wrong?" he lisped.

He hoped they were leaving here soon, he didn't like how it felt, like he was cold on the she had a chance to explain the guards announced that time was boy cried as the guards ripped him from Narcissa arms and she fell to her knees, sobbing louder than Draco's small voice could have hoped to roared and screamed and beat her fists bloody off the cold stony is it she thought, this is what will kill wont be the Lucius or the Dark Lord or even the will be not seeing my son for eleven that by the time i leave this dreaded place i will be no more than a stranger to my sweet that thought in mind she let out one more glass shattering scream before passing out from exhaustion.

On december second 1982 the ministry of magic determined the future of young Draco most of his living realitives were now in Azakaban it was considered wise to place him in the children program of the domestic undertaking of magic people commonly know as the DUMP, although the ministry would never admit to using such and Lucius were granted one final visit before Draco would be officially be admitted to the would be eleven years until Narcissa and Lucius' sentences would be finished and until that time they would be granted zero visits or influences to their son, so as not to turn him in any were in azkaban for the terrible crimes they committed during the wizarding they pleaded that they were under the Imperius curse, they were found guilty.

Even though Draco two years old he still felt something was wanted his mother and didn't want these silly old women cucking and cooing at wanted his mother and all he wanted and all he thought he would ever want for eleven years to come.

Mr. and Mrs. granger died on the second of december only child Miss Hermione Granger would be left in the hands of the Ministery of Magic who had got word when she was only a year old that she was performing small acts of of utter curiosity the ministry followed up on their investigation on this unusual child only to find the allegations to be when her parents died a month later the Minister scooped in to collect her before her parents bodies had a chance to get erased any record of her in the muggle world and repeated how luck she was to be a muggle born and get to grow up in the wizarding she cried the DUMP staff laughed and joked. "Silly thing,If only she knew how very lucky she was" they didn't cluck and coo at hermione,Instead her fierious crying annoyed them,instantly labelling her a troublemaker at the dangerous age of one.

A large woman had entered the room then, to find out what child was causing all the ruckus, the moment she laid eyes on Hermione she felt disgust in her mouth. Hadn't any one told the ministry this was a pure blood orphanage? No she grimaced, they weren't allowed refuse muggle borns . If Hermione had known Molly weasley then she would have thought the Matron looked uncannily like the motherly only difference between the two was there love for all plaws loved a selected group of loved children with noble families and powerful parents, children's who bloodlines ran long and spent a year in that orphanage before Draco had been a year of neglect, the staff at the Dump never laid a finger or a hex on the tiny girl, but it always seemed like Hermione drew the short christmas she got the least and worst presents, a dinner she got the smallest treats were ever given out they made sure she was at the back of the queue, incase they ran out, which they usually did.

All of this never spoken aloud, never were they orders to deliberately discriminate against Hermione everyone did it because they Hermione sped ahead the other children in terms of her development, A the age of two she was slowly learning to control her magic before other children her age had started to use it making the workers hate her even more.

DUMP was beautiful, it didn't look like an orphanage,From its chandeliers to long polished hallways, it was nothing short of staff go DUMP were all well paid but they resented their jobs, some of them only wishing they had been orphans of them wished they were Hermione though,for they knew that life at DUMP for the toddler would be much harder than their lives could ever hope to be, she had a target on her back painted by Matron Plaws.

On december second 1982 Hermione woke up in the middle of the night to a cry coming from the cot next to didn't know who this new child was but his cry soon had her crying too and the Matron swiftly entered the room a scowl imprinted on her face

"Hermione!You bold girl!You've woken Draco with your noise" Hermione cried louder now at being shouted at so matron carried Draco from the room, his tiny body shaking from hours of crying.

"Hush now, everything will be fine" she cradled him close to her chest to comfort him, but her arms where too plump and she didn't smell like his he cried and Matron Plaws, after a few more swings brought him back into the nursery.

Hermione had ceased her crying but her rosy lip quivered as she stood peering over the cream barrier of her kicked and fussed as Matron Plaws tucked him back into bed.

"Now, now Master Draco, just hush now for a little while" hermione had never heard the matron use such a nurturing last time she had ever heard anyone speak like that near her was her knowing why she was crying she started again,she thought she might be crying because something was missing and she wanted someone to get it for her.

"Merlin's beard, would you shut up!" the matron hissed at up of the children the Matron left the room again and Hermione stared the boy next to her, Draco noticing Hermione presence decided to ask her an important question

"Mama?" at that small word hermione fell back on her bed, her chest hurting for want of her own mother,she seemed like a distant memory, like remembering a smell or how it feels to be toddlers cried into the night, their anguished screams creating a sickly sweet melody of want.

 _ **review and favourite, thank you :)**_


	2. Chapter 2

The adoption day came sooner than Hermione wanted it had stayed up the night before tossing and dorm was packed with girls, all gently snoring and sighing in their sleep, all dreaming of better eyes did not was alert and awake. Would they like her? would she find a family? What would they be like ?her back ached and her delicate fingers were orphanage had been scrubbed from top to bottom,School had been cancelled and all the orphans spent the days cleaning until they dropped from exhaustion. Potiencal parents would be in the dormitories tomorrow, they would be in the grand hall they would be later, when her eyes were to heavy to keep part sh let herself fall asleep to the sweet sounds of her might be family.

Across the hall Draco lay awake in his bed worrying about grey eyes flashed awake as soon as they had been closed for two long. would she get adopted, would the family be nice to her? would they love her?, would they let her visit him?He would miss her, miss her so lay awake until a tide of self pity lulled him to sleep.

The next morning hermione eyes pulled open earlier than any other small girl in that yawned and streched and then began to clean her ruby red shoes, the good shoes she never wore, she gave her frizzy hair percicley 300 strokes and practiced her introduction in an excited whisper.

"Im hermione Granger, its lovely to meet you"

"Hello, my name is hermione, I'm so happy to meet you".Happy she was, happy at the chance to be leaving this god awful place but still a sadness lingered, a sadness with the name Draco written all over.

The other children where slowly waking so Hermione slipped from the dorm room to the common area, where he knew he'd be.

Draco stood in the common area fully dressed in his best robes, He had collected maybe four hours of sleep and was feeling rather moody, until he seen hermione.

They hugged there in the common room, both of them too young to fully understand why they felt the way the felt but old enough to know it was important.

"No matter what happens" Draco told her, "We stay friends" he was clutching onto her hand, bring it close to their serious faces.

"Forever" Hermione confirmed, giving hs hand a gentle squeeze.

Despite his hate for the thought of hermione leaving he couldn't deny he'd ever seen her happier.A smile took habitants on her round face, her wild mess of curlys, semi tamed with a baby blue hairband.

Draco new he would be up for adoption today, the nurses had told him he was free to do as he wished but they hoped he would help he said he would hand out refreshments to the adults.


	3. Chapter 3

By the impressive age of five Hermione taught herself to read,the other children in the orphanage didnt mind Hermione much, some used the staff dislike of her to their advantage but other than that they all seemed to tolerate her considerably had developed a thirst for knowledge and everyday she could be found in the library, scouring through books that she might be able to frustrated the Matron so much that she put a ban on library visits to everyone under 10,of course that rule didn't apply to Draco, the rules never applied to him.

the children at the DUMP hated Draco, in fact hate is not a strong enough word to describe their feelings for the five year old boy, while most of their parents were dead or missing he knew where his parents were, and he knew that one day he would be reunited with many people could say the was a chip among Staff at DUMP felt the complete opposite for Draco, all addressing him as Master Draco, they walked on egg shells around him afraid to upset him incase his parents ever got word.

On a sung afternoon as the children played outside, Draco malfoy wondered from group to group trying to find a game he thought he'd like to play, when none of them did anything for him, he decided to just sit on the curb and soak in the sun, mage have a nice long he was immediately in the dark, as the shadow of a young girl covered him.

"Hello" she squeaked, in her arms she carried a book wider than her shoulders.

"Whats that?" Draco asked pointing at the large red book she was holding.

"Its a book of easy spells" she told him, quite satisfied with her own answer

"Why do you want that?" Draco didn't know why someone would want to read a book about spells.

"I want it because" a young Hermione fixed her bushy brown hair and smiled brightly "I'm going to be one of the best witches to ever attend Hogwarts!" she announced and Draco laughed, he laughed so hard he had to hold onto his side so he wouldn't split open.

"What in the name of merlin is a hogwarts?" Hermione dropped the book from her arms and let her jaw drop to what seemed to be the floor.

"You-you don't know what hogwarts is?" She couldn't believe he didn't know what hogwarts was, didn't ever wizard or witch dream of going? Didn't everyone dream at night of the wonderful place?Hermione pulled Draco up by the hand

"Follow me" she said, and lead him back throughout the large twin oak door and to the library.A Magical introduction to easy Spells lay open on the ground. This was the only time in Hermione's life she forgot about a book.

Draco and Hermione poured over pictures of the magnificent castle, both of them infatuated my its mysterious stood just a few centimetres shorter than Hermione both of them squished into one red arm library was nearly always vacant except for Hermione who had made the room into a home for had never been in there before and couldn't think of a more boring hobby than on the other hand found reading to be a way to cope with feelings, feelings she had no one to talk about had learnt how to read a few months ago, in the DUMP's school as most wizards are home schooled the dump children take turns attending the school in the orphanage, funnily enough it never seemed to be Hermione's turn.

In hogwarts they have different houses, so you get sorted into each house depending on what your like, so if your brave you get to go to gryffindor, if your clever you go to raven claw, if your kind you go to hufflepuff and if your evil you go to slytherin" Hermione informed him.

"But why would they even make a slytherin then?" Draco took a step closer to Hermione so the sunlight was now not directly shining on his face.

"What?" her eye didn't wonder from hr Hogwarts remembered the day she found that books, how the information filled her, greedily she inhaled word after word, picture after picture until she could remember it all/

"If hogwarts can tell if someone is evil why would they let that evil person come to the school?" hermione open her mouth to speak and closed it again.

"I don't know, seems rather silly now that i think about it"

the two children went back to the book again, both watching and only daring to dream what it would be like to go.

"I can't wait to go" hermione exclaimed after a long silence that young children never feel awkward about.

"its just school" draco replied, he didn't want this girl to see how very desperately he want to go.

"i'd give anything to go to school" Hermione closed her eyes for a split second and she felt tears that she didn't want this boy to see, she didn't want him to call her a baby.

"You go to school, so do i, here" his eyebrows were furrowed, he couldn't remember Hermione ever being in his class.

"Its never my turn" her shoes were dirty from the dusty playground and she stared down at them intensely.

"Why don't you just tell the Matron you haven't gotten a turn yet?" Draco couldnt understand how they could have missed Hermione, so far from what he'd seen this orphanage works like a clock.

"She doesn't like me and neither do the other people, i heard one of them say i was dirty" a small voice told felt a pang of guilt for the little girl in front of him, firstly that she wanted to go to school this badly and secondly that she couldn't

"Well then why don't you take a bath?" he suggested

"I have!twice a day for two weeks, but they still don't like me!" she shouted and then sighed

"I don't know what i did wrong" she added.

"maybe you could get one of your friends to ask for you" he suggested again, feeling worse the longer the conversation dragged on.

"I don't have any friends" she murmured, her lip quivering.

"don't feel bad" he rushed " i don't have any either"

"Really?" she asked, her large brown eyes widen in disbelief

"Yup" he aded with a sad smile

"Then why don't we become friends? "a huge smile took over Hermione's face, revealing a missing front tooth.

"Okay, best friends?" Draco was overjoyed at the thought of a friend, the way five year olds get excited over a new toy.

"Forever and ever?" Hermione asked, wearing a serious expression.

"No, forever and ever is too long, maybe just for forever "

"For forever," hermione children exchanged smiles and then Draco stuck his hand out because he seen the matron do it to a visitor once.

" Malfoy" Unsure of what to do, Hermione leant down and kissed his hand, he snatched it away quickly, laughing.

"No, stupid your supposed to say your name and put your hand against mine and then move it up and down or something" Hermione started laughing now at Draco uncertainty and he scowled

"Im not leaving it here all day you know!"

"Hermione Jean Granger" she managed through giggles and then shook his hand lightly.

The next morning Draco marched to Matron Plaws office.

"Master Draco," the young receptionist mused, smiling kindly at him "What can i do for you?" confidently Draco placed his arms on the counter top above his head.

"Im here to see Matron Plaws about my friend Hermione Jean Granger. The receptionist face fell and she frowned the the blonde haired boy.

"Matron Plaws is very busy this morning Master Draco so maybe you should go-"

"Mater Draco!," Matron Plaws bellowed from her open office door "Come in boy!" Draco, with as much dignity a five year old can gather, skipped into Matron Plaws until he remember what he was doing and began to march again

"What seemed to be the problem dear child?" she began. Draco looked around her office, there where pictures hung in a perfect line on the green walls, one he regnoised.

"did you like hogwarts?" he asked her, pointing at the school picture on the wall.

"Hogwarts?, Yes, its a grand school, or should i say was seeing as that bumbling moron Albus has taken charge now" The Matron talked very quickly and loudly so Draco could never fully understand every word she said, he just had to manage with the jist of what she said.

"Which house were you in?" he asked, Hermione voice ringing in his ear

"Slytherin of course, all the greats go to slytherin, you will too" he frowned at that thought, all slytherin are evil.

"i'm here to talk to you about Hermione Granger" he puffed his chest, and assured himself that he sounded very grown up.

"she hasn't been bothering you has she, because i can sort that out" the matron had risen from her chair and was heading to the door,the word Hermione was about to be roared from her lips.

"No, no. its not that Matron she's my friend" slowly, the matron sat back down in her chair and gave the small boys who's legs didn't touch the ground a bemused look.

"Your friend?" she asked, slightly stunned.

"Yes, so i would like to tell you that its not fair that she never gets to go to school"

"thats what you think?" matrons eyebrows were knitted together

"Yes and she really wants to go to school, so if you could take care of that, it would be great thanks" he smiled falsely and just before his fingers grazed the door knob the matron stood up.

"Draco?"

"yes?" the boy turned to face the middle aged woman standing over him.

"That granger girl can't be your friend"

"why not" his words came out whiny and childish but he didn't care.

"because she inst like you and the others Draco, she... this book is for you, it should explain everything and Draco, Be careful" he left the room with a disinterested first thought that came to Draco as he left that room was to find Hermione and show her his new book.


End file.
